InVEST: A Tool to Map, Measure and

Value Nature's Benefits Gregg Verutes

C-K Kim

September 11, 2012

Nature’s Benefits

STABLE FISHERIES

CLEAN BEACHES

HEALTHY SEAFOOD

VIBRANT COASTAL

COMMUNITIES

ABUNDANT WILDLIFE

PROTECTION FROM

STORMS

RENEWABLE ENERGY

GOOD JOBS

Multiple services. Not sector by sector.

H e l p p e o p l e u n d e r s ta n d b e n e f i t s f r o m n a t u r e U s e t h a t u n d e r s ta n d i n g to i n fo r m d e c i s i o n s

Our Mission

1. Science: Develop new ES research and tools

2. Evidence: Demonstrate viability of ecosystem service approaches globally

3. Influence: Engage with leaders to advance policy change

Diverse Team

The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file a

• e c o l o g i s t s • o c e a n o g r a p h e r • f i s h e r i e s s c i e n t i s t • c o a s t a l e n g i n e e r s • h y d r o l o g i s t s

• g e o g r a p h e r s • c o m p u t e r s c i e n t i s t s • p o l i c y & c o m m u n i c a t i o n s p e c i a l i s t s • e c o n o m i s t s

InVEST • Multiple services and biodiversity • Scenario-based analysis • Biophysical and economic currencies • Applicable globally with minimal data

It’s free & open source! http://natura lcapita lproject .org

(Tallis et al. 2011, Marine Policy)

Harvested Biomass

Landed Biomass

Visitation Rate

Avoided Area

Recreation

Fishery

Aquaculture

Coastal Protection

Habitat type

Species distribution

Bathymetry & Topography

SOCIO-ECONOMIC

Carbon Carbon

Sequestered

Oceanography

Value of carbon

sequestered

Expenditures due to

recreation activity

Net present

value of

finfish and

shellfish

Value of avoided damages Habitat

Risk

Water Quality

Population density

Property values

Aquaculture operation costs

BIO-PHYSICAL

Demographics

TERRESTRIAL SYSTEMS

ES Values/ Human well-being

(examples)

Ecosystem state – function - service (examples)

Input Data Scenario

Inputs

• Demographic

• Socio- economic

• Institutional information

• Policies

Conceptual Approach

Climate regulation

Clean Beaches

Food security

& nutrition

Shelter

W e l l - b e i n g m e t r i c s

M O N E Y H E A L T H S E C U R I T Y H A P P I N E S S * S E R V I C E S H E D

*changes in flow and distribution of well-being

B i o p h y s i c a l U n i t s

M o n e t a r y U n i t s

What Exactly Are We Visualizing?

Harvested Biomass

Landed Biomass

Visitation Rate

Avoided Area

Carbon Sequestered

Value of carbon

sequestered

Expenditures due to recreation

activity

Net present value of

finfish and shellfish

Value of avoided damages

Marine & Terrestrial Ecosystem Services

Fisheries

Aquaculture

Coastal Protection

Recreation

Wave Energy

Carbon Sequestration

Habitat Quality

Aesthetic Quality

Water Quality

Water purification

Sediment retention

Crop pollination

Hydropower

Agricultural prod’n

Irrigation water

NTFPs Flood control

Commercial timber

A Tiered Approach

Low Model Complexity

Local, fine

Global, coarse

High

InVEST

0 1 2

• simple parameterization • designed for data-limited areas • easy to apply • first-cut estimates

• complex process-based models • designed for data-rich areas • substantial time to apply • more reliable and refined estimates

Data Availability

InVEST within ArcGIS

Where We Work

Different Decision-Contexts

Decision Context Geography

Spatial Planning Tanzania, Indonesia, British Columbia,

Hawaii, China, Belize

Ecosystem-based management (terrestrial-marine links)

USA (Puget Sound, Galveston & Chesapeake Bays)

Climate adaptation USA (Galveston & Monterey Bays)

Payments for ecosystem services Colombia (water funds), Indonesia

(REDD), Borneo, Tanzania

Impact assessment, permitting, licensing Colombia (mining)

Multilateral development bank investments

World Bank in Malawi

Corporate strategy Lafarge in Michigan, USA

Stakeholder Engagement Process

Guerry et al. 2012, IJBESM

Take Home Message

1. Nature Provides Benefits to People

2. Many tools available ― e.g. InVEST

3. NatCap’ s ecosystem framework can help various stakeholders through access to useful tools